AU2006340658B2

AU2006340658B2 - Interchangeable attachment means for attaching a conductor to a hearing aid

Info

Publication number: AU2006340658B2
Application number: AU2006340658A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Dennis Brian Nielsen
Original assignee: Widex AS
Current assignee: Widex AS
Priority date: 2006-03-21
Filing date: 2006-03-21
Publication date: 2010-05-20
Anticipated expiration: 2026-03-21
Also published as: CN101395960A; WO2007107154A1; JP4842369B2; AU2006340658A1; US7715580B2; CN101395960B; CA2644131A1; CA2644131C; JP2009530925A; EP1997348A1; EP1997348B1; DK1997348T3; US20070223756A1

Description

1 Title Interchangeable attachment means for attaching a conductor to a hear ing aid 5 Technical Field The present invention relates to hearing aids. The invention, more specifically, relates to an interchangeable attachment means for attaching a conductor to a hearing aid, as well as to a hearing aid hous 10 ing for a BTE hearing aid and an interchangeable attachment means for attaching a sound conductor. Background Art Behind The Ear hearing aids, or BTE hearing aids for short, nor 15 mally comprise a housing containing all necessary electronics of the hearing aid including input and output transducers. The output trans ducer is located in connection with a sound output port in the housing, from which the sound is output to the ear of the user via a sound tube. It should be noted that the output transducer need not be located in 20 immediate connection with the sound output port, but may be located at any appropriate location within the hearing aid housing, the sound being in that case conducted to the output port via an intermediate tube or the like. However, depending on whether a hook or a tube is to be con 25 nected to the connecting piece of the hearing aid housing, the connect ing piece should have different shapes. The thread used for a securing a hook is not necessarily the best thing for the direct attachment of a tube. In that case a cylindrical piece with a circumferential barb, e.g. at the distal end, might be much more secure and above all convenient. 30 Making a large number of different hearing aid housings is however not desirable, for reasons of manufacture and storage. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely 2 for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia before the priority date of 5 each claim of this application. Summary of the Invention It is a preferred feature of the present invention to overcome at least the above problems in the prior art. 10 The invention, in a first aspect, provides An attachment structure for attaching a conductor to a hearing aid housing, the hearing aid housing hav ing a hearing aid housing wall, said attachment structure defining a sound conduit and being adapted to be located partially in said hearing aid housing wall, so as to have a first part located in said hearing aid housing wall and a 15 second part protruding through an aperture in said hearing aid housing wall, said first part having a means for interlocking with the hearing aid housing in the assembled state of the hearing aid housing, and said means for inter locking being adapted for securing the attachment structure against rotation as well as against linear motion relatively to the hearing aid housing. 20 Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclu sion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. 25 By the use of an interchangeable attachment means the need to manufacture and store a number of different hearing aid housings for differ ent sound conductors is obviated. The invention, in a second aspect, provides a hearing aid housing for a BTE hearing aid, said housing comprising a housing wall and an at 30 tachment structure for attaching a conductor, said attachment structure de fining a sound conduit and being located partially in said hearing aid housing wall, so as to have a first part located in said housing wall and a second part protruding through an aperture in said hearing aid housing wall, said hear ing aid housing wall having housing interlocking means for interlocking with 3 an interlocking means of said attachment structure for securing the attach ment structure against rotation as well as against linear motion relative to the hearing aid housing. The invention, in a third aspect, provides a BTE hearing aid com 5 prising a hearing aid housing with a housing wall and an attachment struc ture for attaching a conductor, said attachment structure comprising an in terchangeable part having a first and a second part, said second part pro truding from said hearing aid housing through an aperture in said housing wall, said hearing aid and said attachment structure having mutually coop 10 erating interlocking means, the attachment structure comprising a means for interlocking, which secures the attachment structure against rotation as well as against linear motion relative to the hearing aid housing. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said first part comprises means for interlocking with the hearing aid housing in the 15 assembled state. By having means for interlocking with the hearing aid housing, the attachment means according to the invention may be held solely in place by means of said hearing aid housing wall. In particular, this may be achieved by said means for interlocking with said attachment means comprising a recess formed in said housing wall. 20 According to an alternative preferred embodiment of the invention, said first part comprises means for interlocking with the hearing aid housing and a carrier for electronics in the hearing aid in the assembled state. This not only makes the manufacture of the housing less complicated, but may also improve the acoustic or electric connection between the hearing aid 25 electronics on the carrier and the conductor. According to a further preferred embodiment according to the in vention, said second part is generally cylindrical and comprises a thread. This provides an interchangeable attachment means suitable for screw con nection of a relatively rigid conductor, e.g. in the form of a hook. 30 According to another embodiment according to the invention, said second part comprises a catch means. This provides an interchangeable at tachment means, which may inter alia be suitable for the 4 attachment of a relatively soft conductor such as a sound tube. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said catch means comprises a barb, in particular a circumferential barb. Such a barb is simple to manufacture, yet still an efficient means to re 5 tain e.g. a sound tube. Preferably said barb is located at the distal end of said second part. This facilitates the attachment of the sound tube on attachment means. According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, 10 there is provided a locking means for securing a tube retained by the barb, said locking means comprises an annular member adapted to be placed around said tube at a location registering with said barb. In this way the sound tube may be held even more securely on said barb. Preferably, said annular member comprises at least one internal 15 recess adapted to register with said barb, and more preferably said in ternal recess is a circumferential groove. The latter allows the mounting of the locking means at any angle of rotation with respect to the at tachment member, so that no angular positioning is necessary. 20 Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described in greater detail based on non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and with reference to the draw ings. In the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a partial view of a first embodiment of a hear 25 ing aid comprising an attachment means according to he invention, Fig. 2 illustrates a partial view of the hearing aid of Fig. 1 with a hook attached, Fig. 3 illustrates a partially exploded view of the hearing aid of Fig. 1, 30 Fig. 4 illustrates a partially assembled view of the hearing aid of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 illustrates a partial view of a second embodiment of a hearing aid comprising an attachment means according to the invention Fig. 6 illustrates a partially exploded view of the hearing aid of 5 Fig. 5, Fig. 7 illustrates a partial view of the hearing aid of Fig. 5 pro vided with an alternative attachment means according to the invention, on which an attached sound tube is indicated, 5 Fig. 8 illustrates a partial view of the hearing aid corresponding to that of Fig. 7, but provided with a further securing means for the at tached sound tube, and Fig. 9 illustrates a complete hearing aid with a hook attached using an attachment means according to the invention. 10 Best Mode of the Invention Whereas fig. 9 shows an overview of a complete hearing aid, the preceding figures omit those parts of the hearing aid housing that are not relevant for the attachment means, so as to focus on the end 15 where the attachment means is located. Referring first to fig. 1, there is illustrated a hearing aid housing 1. The hearing aid housing 1 comprises a first and a second shell shaped halves 2 and 3 respectively, between which the inner cavity of the hearing aid is formed. Through an aperture in an end surface 20 formed by the two halves an attachment means 4 according to the in vention protrudes. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment means 4 is generally cylindrical with a through bore 5 and an external thread 6. The external thread may serve as an attachment means for a sound conductor in the form of a hook 7, which by means of an internal 25 mating thread may be screwed onto the attachment means 4, as illus trated in fig 2. In fig. 3 an exploded view of the second shell shaped half 3 of the hearing aid housing 1 and the attachment means 4, constituting a separate interchangeable element, is shown. The first shell shaped half 30 2 is not shown in fig. 3, but the skilled person will understand that, at least as far as the illustrated features are concerned, the first shell shaped half 2 is a mirror image of the second shell shaped half 3. The interchangeable attachment means 4 is provided with a flange 8. The flange 8 is adapted to fit in a recess 9 provided in the end 6 wall 10 of the hearing aid housing 1, i.e. in the wall of each shell shaped half 2, 3, as can be seen in Fig. 4. Together with two semicircular cut outs 11, 12 in the end wall 10, the recess 9 forms part of an aperture in said end wall 10. In the preferred embodiment, the flange 8 has a 5 generally rectangular shape, with rounded ends 13, 14 in order to facilitate insertion in the recess 9. When the housing 1 is assembled with the flange 8 placed in the recess 9, the attachment means 4 is located partially in said end wall 10. The flange 8 and the recess 9 interlock and secure the attachment means 4 against rotation relatively 10 to the housing 1 when e.g. a hook 7 is screwed onto the thread 6 of the part protruding from the housing 1. The skilled person would understand that a number of other shapes of the flange 8 and the recess 9 could be used to secure the attachment means 4 against rotation. Also, the flange 8 and the recess 9 secure the attachment part 15 4 against linear motion with respect to the housing 1, i.e. in the direction of the bore 5 of the attachment part 4. This is in particular important when the interchangeable attachment means 4, according to a different embodiment to be described below, is adapted for linear attachment of e.g. a sound tube. 20 Turning now to fig. 5, another embodiment of the interchange able attachment means 4 adapted to a different hearing aid housing 1 is illustrated. The hearing aid housing 1 comprises two parts, a main hous ing part 15 and a lid part 16. In fig. 5 the attachment means 4 is lo cated partially in an aperture 17 in the end wall 18 of the hearing aid 25 housing 1. As can best be seen from the exploded view of Fig. 6, the gen erally cylindrical part of the attachment means 4 protrudes from the ap erture 17 in the end wall 18, so as to allow attachment of a conductor, e.g. a hook, as already explained in conjunction with Figs. 1 to 4. 30 The interchangeable attachment means 4 is held in place in the aperture 17 by means of a carrier part 19 of the hearing aid, carrying an output transducer 20 and preferably all or parts of the electronics of the hearing aid. The interchangeable attachment part 4 comprises a number of radial protrusions 21. When the hearing aid is assembled, the 7 carrier part 19 within the hearing aid housing 1, presses the radial pro trusions 19 of the attachment part 4 against the internal side of the end wall 18, thereby securing the attachment part 4 against linear motion. In order to also secure the attachment part 4 against rotation with re 5 spect to the hearing aid housing 1, the carrier part 19 has a number of cut outs matching the protrusions 21. In this respect, it should be noted that with appropriate choice of the width of the cut outs, a flange plate corresponding to or even identical to that of figs. 3 and 4 could be used instead of the protrusions 21. 10 Preferably a sealing ring 25 is interposed between the attach ment part 4 and the carrier part 19, so as to seal the sound path from the transducer to the through bore 5 of the interchangeable attachment means 4. Fig. 7 illustrates the hearing aid of fig. 5 where the threaded in 15 terchangeable attachment means 4 has been substituted with an alter native embodiment of the interchangeable attachment means 4'. The interchangeable attachment means 4' of fig. 7 differs from the interchangeable attachment means 4 of fig. 5 in that the generally cylindrical part protruding from the aperture 17 in the end wall 18 is not 20 threaded. Instead it is generally smooth, but provided with a catch means. In the illustrated embodiment, the catch means is a circumfer ential barb 22 arranged at the end. The skilled person will realise that a single circumferential barb 22 is only a preferred embodiment and that various other catch means could be used. In particular the barb 22 need 25 not be circumferential. Also, there could be several barbs, circumferen tial or not. Unlike the interchangeable attachment means 4 having a thread 6, which is suitable for attaching e.g. a hook 7, the interchange able attachment means 4' is suitable for the direct attachment of a 30 sound tube 23 as indicated in fig. 7. Direct attachment of the sound tube 23 is here to be understood opposed to attachment of the sound tube to the hearing aid 1 via the hook 7, as illustrated in fig 9, where a sound tube 26 leading to an earplug 27 is attached to the distal end of the hook 7. When a sound tube 23 is slid over the cylindrical part of the 8 interchangeable attachment part 4 it will be retained securely by the circumferential barb 22. Thus, without modification of the hearing aid housing 1 as such, the hearing aid may adapted to the use with either a hook 7 or a sound 5 tube 23, simply by substituting the attachment means 4 for the attach ment means 4' or vice versa, or by appropriate selection, when assem bling the hearing aid. In respect of the interchangeable attachment part 4', it should be noted that the protruding part need not necessarily be a straight cy 10 lindrical part, but could instead have a curvature. Though the circumferential barb 22 should normally be suffi cient to retain the sound tube 23, it may be desirable to secure it fur ther. For this purpose a locking means 24 may be provided as illustrated in fig. 8. The locking means 24 illustrated in fig. 8 comprises an annular 15 member placed around the sound tube 23 at a location registering with the circumferential barb 22. Preferably the annular member comprises at least one internal recess (not visible) registering with the barb. In particular the internal recess is a circumferential groove, so as to match the circumferential 20 barb 22. Though the above description has been exemplified using sound conductors such as the tube 23 and the hook 7, it should be noticed that the invention is not restricted thereto. In particular the inter changeable attachment means could also be adapted to the attachment 25 of electrical conductors, or combined conductors for sound and electric ity, such as sound tubes with embedded electrical wires.

Claims

1. An attachment structure for attaching a conductor to a hearing aid housing, the hearing aid housing having a hearing aid housing wall, said at tachment structure defining a sound conduit and being adapted to be lo 5 cated partially in said hearing aid housing wall, so as to have a first part lo cated in said hearing aid housing wall and a second part protruding through an aperture in said hearing aid housing wall, said first part having a means for interlocking with the hearing aid housing in the assembled state of the hearing aid housing, and said means for interlocking being adapted for se 10 curing the attachment structure against rotation as well as against linear motion relative to the hearing aid housing.

2. The attachment structure according to claim 1, wherein said first part comprises a carrier for electronics in the hearing aid in the assembled state. 15

3. The attachment structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said second part is generally cylindrical and comprises a thread.

4. The attachment structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said second part comprises a catch means. 20

5. The attachment structure according to claim 4, wherein said catch means comprises a barb.

6. The attachment structure according to claim 5, wherein said barb is circumferential.

7. The attachment structure according to claim 5, wherein said 25 barb comprises an annular member adapted to be placed around said tube at a location registering with said barb.

8. The attachment structure according to claim 7, wherein said annular member comprises at least one internal recess adapted to register with said barb. 30

9. The attachment structure according to claim 8, wherein said in ternal recess is a circumferential groove.

10. A hearing aid housing for a BTE hearing aid, said housing com prising a housing wall and an attachment structure for attaching a conduc tor, said attachment structure defining a sound conduit and being located 35 partially in said hearing aid housing wall, so as to have a first part located in said housing wall and a second part protruding through an aperture in said 10 hearing aid housing wall, said hearing aid housing wall having housing inter locking means for interlocking with an interlocking means of said attachment structure for securing the attachment structure against rotation as well as against linear motion relative to the hearing aid housing. 5

11. The hearing aid housing according to claim 10, wherein said housing interlocking means comprises a recess formed in said housing wall.

12. The hearing aid housing according to claim 10, wherein said at tachment structure comprises means for interlocking with a carrier for elec tronics in the hearing aid. 10

13. A BTE hearing aid comprising a hearing aid housing with a housing wall and an attachment structure for attaching a conductor, said at tachment structure comprising an interchangeable part having a first and a second part, said second part protruding from said hearing aid housing through an aperture in said housing wall, said hearing aid and said attach 15 ment structure having mutually cooperating interlocking means, the at tachment structure comprising a means for interlocking, which secures the attachment structure against rotation as well as against linear motion rela tive to the hearing aid housing.

14. The BTE hearing aid according to claim 13, wherein said second 20 part of said interchangeable part comprises a generally cylindrical surface with an external thread.

15. The BTE hearing aid according to claim 13, wherein said second part of said interchangeable part comprises a generally cylindrical surface with at least one catch means. 25

16. The BTE hearing aid according to claim 15, wherein said catch means comprises a barb.

17. The BTE hearing aid according to claim 16, wherein said barb is a circumferential barb.

18. The BTE hearing aid according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein 30 said barb is located at the distal end of said second part.

19 A hearing aid substantially as described with reference to the accompanying figures.

20. An attachment structure substantially as described with refer ence to the accompanying figures.